David Lee King

social media | emerging trends | libraries

More Reading on Snapchat

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JPEG image-B84420438DE0-1I’ve been posting about using Snapchat in Libraries. Here’s a list of my posts:

And here are some really useful articles on how to use Snapchat for your organization!

So – are you using Snapchat at your library? If so, let me know! And friend me on Snapchat, too!

Snapchat Content Ideas for Libraries

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JPEG image-B84420438DE0-1In my last post, I explained how to use Snapchat (pretty easy, huh?). Now let’s talk about what a library can post on Snapchat.

What types of content should you post on Snapchat? Here are some starter ideas (please add to my list!):

  • Focus on your “power users.” Think about what your frequent customers might be interested in, and share content that caters to them. Think “insider” info here, like special events that are coming soon.
  • Capture quick moments. What’s happening “right now” in the library? Share that in your “story.”
  • Offer “rewards and coupons.” This is what the articles on brands in Snapchat say, anyway. For a library, this might be a fine free day, a cup of coffee in your cafe, or a coupon in your Friends of the Library store. Be creative here!
  • Show off new materials, or new services. We get new stuff all the time. Share it!
  • What else?

Ok. The above list should sound pretty familiar to anyone who posts to a library social media channel. Why? Because it’s pretty much the same type of content you might share on a library’s Facebook or Twitter account. The main difference is that Snapchat is a lot more visual.

Again – Snapchat is not hard to figure out. Do it.

Library Snapchat accounts (I know of a couple):

  • Anne Arundel County Public Library
  • Long Beach Public Library
  • and I’m sure there are others! Add them in the comments.

What am I missing here? Please share…

How to Use Snapchat

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JPEG image-B84420438DE0-1My last post introduced you to Snapchat. Now let’s figure out how to use it!

You’re in luck – Snapchat is really easy to use. The biggest thing to realize with Snapchat is this – Snapchat is a way to visually “chat” (hence “Snap” chat).

Snaps (that’s what posts in Snapchat are called) consist of photos and short videos. Users take a photo or video, and then can add words, drawings, and other fun overlays (i.e., weird eyes, barfing rainbows, etc).

Once you get over the “all visual” hurdle, you’ll find that Snapchat is pretty much like any other social media tool.

IMG_8390Snapchat has 4 main screens:

  1. Home screen. That’s where your camera lives.
  2. Snapchat feed (swipe left or hit the lower left square icon to get here). Here’s where Snaps (messages to you) live. These disappear within 10 seconds.
  3. Stories (swipe right or hit the lower right square icon to get here). Stories are compilations of your Snaps, and they can be viewed by all your friends for 24 hours.
  4. Profile screen (swipe up or hit the ghost icon to get here). This is where your Snapcode lives (that ghost-shaped QR code). You can see mine in this post – scan it to follow me!

For a library, the basics of using Snapchat are pretty simple:

  1. Share your Snapcode with customers so people friend you (also friend people back)
  2. make a funny or interesting Snap
  3. Post it to your Stories
  4. Repeat. Simple stuff!

Let me know – what am I missing?

Snapchat in Libraries

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JPEG image-B84420438DE0-1Ah – Snapchat. Yet another newish social media channel (launched in 2011). One that started out very niche, and did something slightly different with posts – they disappeared after a set amount of time.

Teens loved it; parents, not so much.

A lot has changed in five years. Snapchat is quickly becoming a go-to place for brands. Which means it can also work for us libraries!

Here are some recent facts about Snapchat:

  • Snapchat is more popular than Twitter at the moment
  • Snapchat has recently been the most popular app in Apple’s App Store (#2 right now)
  • Snapchat have over 100 million users
  • Millennials make up 71% of active users (18-34 demographic)
  • Roughly 70% of users are women
  • 1 billion Snapchat Stories are viewed every day

IMG_8385And here’s the biggest fact (well, ok – not really a fact, but …) – if you’re over 40, Snapchat seems to weird us out. Adults tend to find Snapchat confusing. Why? I think it’s because the app doesn’t have the normal labeling we have come to expect.

When you open up the app, you don’t get a box to type in – you get the camera. There aren’t menus – you either swipe left, right, or up (or you can click on the unlabeled icons).

So yeah – it’s not made for us. It’s made for people who instinctively know to just play around with it until they figure it out.

Wait a sec … why can’t that be us, too?

I think it can. Stay tuned for my next post on some “how to use it” basics!